Identifying Baseline Covariates for Use in Propensity Scores: A Novel Approach Illustrated for a Nonrandomized Study of Recovery High Schools

There are many situations where random assignment of participants to treatment and comparison conditions may be unethical or impractical. This article provides an overview of propensity score techniques that can be used for estimating treatment effects in nonrandomized quasi-experimental studies. After reviewing the logic of propensity score methods, we call attention to the importance of the strong ignorability assumption and its implications. We then discuss the importance of identifying and measuring a sufficient set of baseline covariates upon which to base the propensity scores and illustrate approaches to that task in the design of a study of recovery high schools for adolescents treated for substance abuse. One novel approach for identifying important covariates that we suggest and demonstrate is to draw on the predictor-outcome correlations compiled in meta-analyses of prospective longitudinal correlations.     

Where the private meets the public: Results of a survey of library professionals’ observed student use of academic library spaces for prayer

Abstract

Reports of college students using the library for spiritual practices, including prayer and meditation, consist mainly of anecdotal observations, news stories, or press releases about the creation of such spaces within academic libraries. Driven by their own experiences with students using library spaces for prayer, the authors examined how prevalent this was across US academic institutions. Using a large-scale national survey, this study found library professionals observe a wide range of student prayer behavior in a variety of library spaces, regardless of institutional or campus demographics. The results provide academic libraries with evidence to support accommodating students’ spiritual needs in library spaces.     

Scolding John Q.: Articulating a Normative Relationship between Politics and Entertainment

The 2002 hostage drama John Q. triggered a discussion among journalists, the public, and the policy community about the proper relationship between politics and entertainment. In this debate the criteria for good journalism and good political discourse were frequently invoked to evaluate this Hollywood film. This discussion, which spilled out of the film criticism pages into news and commentary pages, shows how public-sphere models of political discourse are privileged even though they may not be a good fit for fictional media. John Q.’s success in triggering public discussion and awareness about health policy issues seems to illustrate DeLuca & Peeples’s (2002) DeLuca, K. M. and Peeples, J. 2002. From public sphere to public screen: Democracy, activism, and the “violence” of Seattle. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 19(2): 125–151. [CROSSREF][Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] claim that the “public screen” is a more useful metaphor for thinking about politics than the public sphere (Habermas, 1989 Habermas, J. 1989. The structural transformation of the public sphere, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.  [Google Scholar]). John Q. seemed to particularly raise the ire of critics because of its unambiguous critique of domestic policy and its implicit suggestion that collective solutions are needed.     

Credibility in Context: How Uncivil Online Commentary Affects News Credibility

In the new media environment, hard news stories are no longer found solely in the “A” section of the paper or on the front page of a news Web site. They are now distributed widely, appearing in contexts as disparate as a partisan blog or your own e-mail inbox, forwarded by a friend. In this study, we investigate how the credibility of a news story is affected by the context in which it appears. Results of an experiment show a news story embedded in an uncivil partisan blog post appears more credible in contrast. Specifically, a blogger's incivility highlights the relative credibility of the newspaper article. We also find that incivility and partisan disagreement in an adjacent blog post produce stronger correlations between ratings of news and blog credibility. These findings suggest that news story credibility is affected by context and that these context effects can have surprising benefits for news organizations. Findings are consistent with predictions of social judgment theory.     

Media Literacy Messages and Hostile Media Perceptions: Processing of Nonpartisan Versus Partisan Political Information

Partisans are poor judges of news content, rating neutral content as biased against their views (the hostile media perception) and forgiving biased content when it favors their side. This study tests whether a short news media literacy public service announcement (PSA) appearing before political programming can influence credibility and hostility ratings of the program and program host. Our findings suggest that a media literacy PSA can be effective, but its impact depends on the position of the news program and on the political ideology of the viewers. In this case, the media literacy PSA only influenced conservatives’ evaluations of the political program, improving perceptions of a neutral or congruent (conservative) host while further depressing ratings of an incongruent (liberal) host. Liberals’ evaluations of the program were unaffected by the PSA. Implications for media literacy messaging and information processing are discussed.     

Fake News,Special Libraries and What It Means to Be American

This column is written by column editor Ilana Stonebraker and guest columnist Emily Johnson. Ilana Stonebraker is Business Information Specialist and Assistant Professor at Purdue University. Emily Johnson is the Middle School Librarian and Library Coordinator at Daystar Academy in Beijing, China. They both received an MSI from the University of Michigan. This column focuses on the “fake news” phenomenon and how it affects special libraries.     

Text reference service: Teens' perception and use

Focus group interviews were conducted to investigate how teen library users perceive and use text reference service. Findings indicate that teens have a mixed attitude toward the service, and they anticipate using it primarily for imposed queries. Teens' perception of three aspects of the service is also discussed: response time, librarians' use of texting abbreviations, and the impact of texting constraints. Strategies are provided to increase awareness, motivate use, and meet expectations. Findings will help inform libraries' text reference practice, providing them with a clear understanding of how teens can benefit from the service, and how their information needs can be fulfilled to their satisfaction. Such an understanding will then lead libraries to develop more effective strategies to promote and deliver library services to teens, strengthen the role libraries play in teens' information-seeking process, and establish a positive and sustaining relationship between teens and libraries.     

ImaginOn,The First Twenty‐First Century Public Library Building in the U.S.

This article presents a portrait of ImaginOn, a combined children's library and theater building in Charlotte, NC. Unlike so many modern library buildings intended primarily as warehouses for materials or as civic icons, this structure is designed to encourage visitors to experience the joy to be found in stories of all kinds. The author conveys the excitement of ImaginOn and, using photographs, highlights the principal features of the structure.     

Book reviews

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF REFERENCE SERVICE FOR GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS. McClure, Charles R. and Hernon, Peter. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1983, 284 pp., $35.00.

INFORMATION ECONOMICS AND POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES. Rubin, Michael Rogers. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1983, $35.00.

VIDEOTEX PROJECT REVIEWS II. Widing, Robert E. and Talarzyk, W. Wayne. Dublin, OH: OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., 1983, 115 pp., $6.00.

BILINGUAL EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS IN PRINT 1983; INCLUDING AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS. New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1983, $45.00.

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES FOR HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS, SECOND EDITION. Wright, Keith and Davie, Judith. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1983, 184 pp., $20.00.

MAGAZINES FOR CHILDREN: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND LIBRARIANS. Richardson, Selma K. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1983, 147 pp., $12.50 paper.

DICTIONARIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. Prepared by the Reference Books Bulletin Editorial Board, American Library Association. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1983, 38 pp., $1.95.

BACK TO BOOKS: 200 LIBRARY ACTIVITIES TO ENCOURAGE READING. Marshall, Karen K. McFarland, 1983, 138 pp., $12.95.

UNION CATALOGUES OF SERIALS: GUIDELINES FOR CREATION AND MAINTENANCE, WITH RECOMMENDED STANDARDS FOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC AND HOLDINGS CONTROL. Whiffen, Jean. New York: The Haworth Press, 1983, 138 pp., $14.95.

THE ALA GLOSSARY OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE. Edited by Young, Heartsill. Chicago, 1L: American Library Association, 1983, 261 pp., $50.00.

THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DICTIONARY, SECOND EDITION, REVISED. Edited by Beckman, Erik. Ann Arbor, MI: Pierian Press, 1983, 247 pp., $22.95; $16.95 paper.

GUIDE TO RESEARCH ON NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. Hirschfelder, Arlene B.; Byler, Mary Gloyne; and Dorris, Michael A. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1983, 330 pp., $75.00.

ANNIVERSARIES AND HOLIDAYS. Gregory, Ruth. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1983, 262 pp., $20.00.